US EditionMaori tribe, Peter Jackson, and Colossal Biosciences team up to 'de-extinct' New Zealand’s giant moa
NEW ZEALAND, JUL 10 – Peter Jackson and Colossal Biosciences aim to genetically engineer the extinct South Island giant moa using DNA from over 300 bones in a $15 million partnership.
- Colossal Biosciences and New Zealand director Peter Jackson announced a $15 million project to genetically engineer living birds resembling the extinct South Island Giant Moa.
- The effort follows advances in DNA extraction from well-preserved moa bones, of which Jackson and Fran Walsh own around 400 samples already analyzed for DNA.
- The extinct moa were large, wingless birds native exclusively to New Zealand, varying in size from species comparable to turkeys up to enormous individuals reaching 3.6 meters in height and weighing around 230 kilograms.
- Colossal’s chief scientist Beth Shapiro explained that the project will compare moa DNA sequences to genomes of living birds, such as tinamous and emus, to identify unique traits.
- The partnership with Ngāi Tahu aims to house resurrected moa in secure ecological reserves, while Colossal and Jackson stressed the birds will not roam freely in Christchurch.
155 Articles
155 Articles
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Scientists and Peter Jackson attempt to bring back an extinct bird
Colossal Biosciences is working on bringing back a long-dormant animal, and it has found a partner to help. The genetics company is teaming up with "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson to resurrect an animal resembling the giant moa, an extinct species native to New Zealand that died out about 600 years ago. Colossal is the same company that made waves in April for resurrecting wolves with the genetic properties of the extinct dire wolf. A…
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